Microsoft ActiveSync

What is Microsoft ActiveSync?

ActiveSync from Microsoft, is the control centre for data exchange between the desktop PC, and Windows Mobile / Pocket PC devices. It supports synchronisation of Contacts, Calendar, Email, Tasks and Notes with MS Outlook.

ActiveSync also handles the following:

• Document conversion for Pocket Excel, Pocket Word and Pocket Access
• Synchronisation of Email folders between Outlook and Inbox
• Synchronisation of files and audio/video
• Exchange of Internet favourites (plus cached content)

This article explains the difference between "ActiveSync®" and "Exchange ActiveSync," and how to use both methods of synchronisation.

ActiveSync

When you connect your synchronisation cable¹ to your smartphone and desktop PC, ActiveSync runs. It is a local process that synchronises information in your desktop PCs Outlook® Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, Notes and e-mail, plus Favourites (Internet Explorer Mobile), Files (Word, Excel®, PowerPoint®, photos and others) and Media (Windows Media® Player).

Before you connect the synchronisation cable, make sure you have installed the version of ActiveSync from the CD-ROM included in the box with your smartphone. The installer will walk you through the setup process.

Exchange ActiveSync

Exchange ActiveSync uses ActiveSync technology to synchronise wirelessly with your corporate Exchange account. When you are on the road and you make a wireless ActiveSync connection, it is known as Exchange ActiveSync. It is different from regular ActiveSync because you are synchronising with your organisation's Exchange 2003 Server rather than your local desktop PC. That is why you will only be able to synchronise Calendar, Contacts, e-mail and Tasks.

Exchange ActiveSync is intended for organisations which use Exchange 2003 server and which have IT resources to setup and maintain it. Exchange ActiveSync leverages the same technology that underlies Outlook Web Access (OWA) services. If you already have OWA access set up outside the firewall, configuring and activating Exchange ActiveSync on your Exchange 2003 server is easy.


ActiveSync technology is smart enough to use the most convenient and low-cost connection available. If your smartphone is set up to synchronise your data via Exchange ActiveSync but your smartphone is connected to your desktop PC (which is in turn connected to your corporate network and Exchange server), your smartphone will use the Desktop PCs connection instead of performing a wireless synchronisation.

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